Driving in inclement winter weather is a hazardous proposition for a wide variety of reasons, not-the least being the need for clear and unobstructed visibility. Blizzards, ice storms and the like induce a good deal of stress to the motor vehicle driver that is only increased by a lack of a clear view of the road ahead. To some extent windshield wipers do a commendable job of keeping the windscreen clear but in extreme weather situations they tend to become clogged with a build-up of ice and frozen rain thereby reducing or eliminating their intended cleaning efficiency. In such instances an imprudent driver may try to remedy the situation by attempting to grope at a moving windshield blade and snap it against the windscreen in the hope of dislodging the accumulating ice while driving. This practice is clearly both impractical and dangerous as the attention of the driver is distracted from the primary task of driving safely and responsibly thus making him a hazard to both himself and others. A more responsible yet not necessarily much safer alternative would be to bring the vehicle to a stop at the side of the road, disembark and manually free the ice or snow from the wipers. The potential danger existing in this solution is that in stopping and exiting the vehicle in extreme weather conditions, the driver puts himself and his vehicle at risk from fellow motorists driving in the same extreme conditions. Ideally, a device that could mechanically and automatically dislodge ice build-up from windshield wiper assemblies without physical human intervention while said vehicle was in motion would be welcome.
Many attempts were made as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,119 granted to Isaac on May 12, 1998 for a “windshield wiper blade deicer” used to alternately raise the two wiper blades with a motor/shaft assembly when in the stowed non-operating position, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,799 granted to Leutsch et al. on May, 2002 for a “windshield wiper with blade lifting mechanism” located within the wiper mounting bearing housing and used to raise the wiper blade away from the windshield via a ramp cooperating with a rocker arm when the wiper is in the stowed non-operating position. Canadian Patent application No. 2,212,090 of Vanderzweep and published on Mar. 5, 1999 discloses a “windshield wiper lifting device” used to lift the wiper blade when the wiper is not being used (static mode) at the lower end of its displacement path, and eventually, for one embodiment, when the wiper is being used (dynamic mode). All above devices only operate while the wiper blade is not used (static mode) and in the lower most position on the windshield where the blade pushes all the snow it wipes off from the windshield during its return segment of travel path.
US Patent application publication No. 2004/0128787 to Wagner published on Jul. 8, 2004 discloses a “windshield wiper blade slapper apparatus” that includes a solenoid activated push-pull rod connected to the wiper bearing housing and the wiper arm to successively raise and lower the latter during operation of the wiper on the windshield. Although the above apparatus can operate at any position of the wiper blade along its wiping travel path during the use of the wiper, it is relatively complex to install by retrofit on existing wiper blades since it requires special tools and modification of the existing wiper mounting bearing housing, especially in order not to interfere with the existing mechanism allowing for the wiper blade to be manually raised during cleaning and/or maintenance thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved snow removal and deicing device for windshield wiper.